It is estimated that about 335 million people inhabit India’s cities, of which about a fourth (80.8 million) are poor. Uttar Pradesh (UP), which is the second largest state in terms of urban poor population, houses nearly 11 million urban poor. The state’s urban poor have a high Neonatal, Infant and Under-5 Mortality Rates.

Of the 340,000 pregnancies every year among this group, only 2% receive complete antenatal care. More than 80% deliveries are conducted at home. Only 15% children receive complete immunization. (Source: National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-3 data for UP, reanalyzed on the basis of wealth index.)

It is a challenge for the Government to provide quality and affordable healthcare services to the urban poor. Effective program strategies require in-depth insight into the health related problems faced by this population, especially with regard to maternal, neonatal and child health.

To enhance understanding in this regard, a study was conducted on the Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health Scenario among the urban poor, in the slums of Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, in 2008. Meerut was selected for the study in view of being one of the largest cities in the programmatically high priority state of Uttar Pradesh, with a population of 1.07 million persons. It also has the highest slum population among cities in the state and is second highest after Mumbai in terms of slum-population ratio.

The study was conducted jointly by Urban Health Resource Centre, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Chatrapati Sahuji Maharaj Medical University. It was funded by United States Agency for International Development.

A Workshop was organized in New Delhi to share the findings of the study on Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health Scenario in the slums of Meerut: Implications for Program and Policy”, on 14th April 2009, at India International Centre.

The workshop brought together officials from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, State Governments of UP and Delhi, Meerut District Health Department, faculty from Meerut Medical College, King George Medical University (KGMU), Johns Hopkins University, and members of the National Neonatology Forum, who shared their experiences at the event.

Workshop Sessions

Dr Marta Levitt Dayal, MCH Star, presented an Overview of the Workshop, laying out the sessions for the day.

Professor Robert Black, Chair of the Dept of International Health, Johns Hopkins University, gave a presentation on the Global Overview of Maternal Neonatal and Child Health – Need for an Urban Focus.

Dr Gajraj Prasad, Additional Director, Maternal and Child Health (MCH), Directorate of Family Welfare, Government of UP, delivered the Special Remarks. He gave a presentation on Urban Health in Uttar Pradesh: Challenges and Opportunities.

Description: India’s urban population has been increasing rapidly in recent decades along with rapid urbanization. It is estimated that 80.8 million persons in urban areas live below the poverty line. The urban poor rarely benefit from the facilities in urban areas and are as deprived as those in the rural areas. The health of the urban poor is considerably worse off than the non poor in urban area and is comparable to the rural figures.

This wall chart presents the health of the urban poor in India compared with other population groups based on an analysis of the Third National Family Health Survey (NFHS-3) conducted in 2005-06. A wealth index has been developed based on 33 assets and household characteristics. The bottom quartile in urban areas is taken as the representative of the urban poor.

Description: The urban poor population in Uttar Pradesh has been increasing rapidly in recent decades along with rapid urbanization. As per the 2001 Census, 3.45 crore persons were residing in towns and cities of Uttar Pradesh. It is estimated that 1.17 crore persons comprising 30.6 per cent of the urban population of the state lives below the poverty line. The urban poor rarely benefit from the facilities in urban areas and are as deprived as those in the rural areas. The health of the slum communities is considerably worse off than the non poor in urban area and is comparable to the rural figures.

This wall chart presents health of the urban poor in Uttar Pradesh compared with other population groups based on an analysis of the Third National Family Health Survey conducted in 2005-06. A wealth index which measures the economic status of households has been developed based on 33 assets and household characteristics. The bottom quartile in urban areas is taken as the representative of the urban poor.

Description: The urban poor population in Rajasthan has been increasing rapidly in recent decades along with rapid urbanization.As per the 2001 Census, 1.32 crore persons comprising 23.4 percent of the total population were living in towns and cities of Rajasthan. It is estimated that 47.51 lakh persons comprising 32.9 per cent of the urban population of the state live below the poverty line. Urban Poverty in Rajasthan is almost double that in rural areas of the state. The urban poor rarely benefit from the facilities in urban areas and are as deprived as those in the rural areas. The health of the slum communities is considerably worse off than the non poor in urban area and is comparable to the rural figures.

This wall chart presents health of the urban poor in Rajasthan compared with other population groups based on an analysis of the Third National Family Health Survey conducted in 2005-06. A wealth index which measures the economic status of households has been developed based on 33 assets and household characteristics. The bottom quartile in urban areas is taken as the representative of the urban poor.

Description: Maharashtra is the second most urbanized state in India. It has an urban population of 4.1 crore comprising 42.4% of the state’s population which is expected to be double by the year 2026. It is estimated that 1.46 crore persons comprising 32.2 % of the urban population of the state live below the poverty line. Maharashtra has the highest urban poor population in India and is rapidly growing. The urban poor rarely benefit from the facilities in urban areas and are as deprived as those in the rural areas. The health of the slum communities is considerably worse off than the non poor in urban areas and is comparable to the rural figures.

This wall chart presents health of the urban poor in Maharashtra compared with other population groups based on an analysis of the Third National Family Health Survey conducted in 2005-06. A wealth index which measures the economic status of households has been developed based on 33 assets and household characteristics. The bottom quartile in urban areas is taken as the representative of the urban poor.